Showing posts with label Rinconada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rinconada. Show all posts

PostHeaderIcon Celebrating Baao Pintakasi 2009 in Las Vegas Nevada in style!

8/13/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post
by Augusto F. Mesia, M.D.

Before August 24, St. Bartholomew, the revered patron saint of Baao, Camarines Sur must be very happy. The itinerant apostle who traveled and evangelized near the coast of Caspian Sea, Persia, Armenia, Egypt, and as far as India was remembered early this year in America.







Before the feast day, in Las Vegas, his special memory was celebrated. Saint Bartholomew had been venerated not only by the Roman Catholic Church but by other Christian denominations such as the Eastern Christian Orthodox Church, the Coptic Christians, Anglicans, and Lutheran Churches.







In the 1st century, the martyred follower of Jesus was flayed and beheaded for his heroic Christian deeds. For that, Baaoenos had not forgotten to honor St. Bartholomew's valor, faith, and religious conviction. That was why last Saturday, August 8, 2009, in Las Vegas, Nevada, the fabulous Pintakasi 2009 pulled earlier than Baao's fiesta back home to glorify his name. A solemn mass officiated by three priests ushered in the affair.













The grand event with lots of surprises was attended by an eager crowd of Baaoenos and friends who traveled far and wide to join the fellowship that certainly had the trimmings of the traditional merry celebration of the Bicol town. A good number came to join the fun, but certainly, there were those who in their absence were sorely missed.













The feast started with a concelebrated thanksgiving prayer that united the attendees and set the festive tone of the grand occasion. In a capacious hall decorated by balloons, they gathered in intimate togetherness, partaking the food and joys of being glued as a community---bonded in ways that only they could ever fully express.







Pintakasi 2009 was particularly dazzling for not only did the day gather hundreds of spritely guests, friends and relatives, but it brought something impressively memorable in Baao’s name. The hosptality is immense. Young and old, they came to share camaraderie and spread around friendship in a place far removed from the quaint town of their origin in Camarines Sur.









Having seen familiar beautiful faces, those who attended huddled in animated “kurumustahan,” in what could be regarded as plain fun within the fleeting time frame of an action-filled weekend. Rinconada dialect must have been the hot currency of conversations which heightened the closeness of the Baao herd.





The hall had that electrifying buzz. Talented Baaoenos showcased their dances and songs. Some went for a refreshing deep in a pool with the children. Others cracked their novel “pangisihan” to the delight of the crowd.







There were those who were content sipping chilled wine in a friendly round table, thumping their feet to the candence of nearby music. A group laughed it out loud in the parlor games that brought winners and losers in an exciting competition of agility and wits.







The bright sun, nearer than usual to the hearts of many, drenched Nevada, sans nieve (snow) for which it was named, at the peak of summer---Surely, it was to the delight of those who came for the Pintakasi whose festive spirit had taken root on their senses.





The memories they brought home this year would hum in their thoughts like fine-tuned mellow music till the next fiesta brings them back again in a cycle of unity and goodwill. They will tag along their innocent children to add wonder and joy to the yearly tradition.(Photo Credits: Angel Martires, Tony Martires, Tess Salah) =0=





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PostHeaderIcon Baao & the Pintakasi in America : "Sa kalipungawan ko, ngowan na aldow, di tay ka malingawan!"

8/03/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post



by Augusto F. Mesia, M.D.
Astoria, New York

“Tibaad makaabot kamo sa banwaan kong tinubuan
dara pa gayon ag tinkad ninyong kolor na namasdan,
ta arayo kamo sa ragang kinabuklatan, nang-alisngaw,
namarong na amot, tibaad dagos nang naoda, nanlasaw.
An hamio ninyo, kalag ninyong tunay, di maisusuway,
di malilingangawan kan langit kun sari kamo nabuway.”
--- “Para sa Burak sa Heildelberg” by J.P Rizal (trans. Robosa, P.B.)
Baao Historical Society





“But alas! You'll get there, oh flow'rs,
Perhaps you'll retain your colors;
But far from your native, heroic land
To which you owe your life,
You'll lose your fragrant odours;
'Cause aroma's the soul, and ne'er leaves the sky,
Nor forgets, that saw at birth its light.”
---To the Flowers of Heidelberg, by JP Rizal, (trans. Alzona, E.)







BAAO IN BIKOL

National hero Jose P. Rizal didn’t refer to a specific place in his poem above, but when we read the last few lines of "To the Flowers of Heidelberg," translated in royal Rinconada dialect, we quickly feel the pure love for the land he called home, the Philippines. This also applies to our own Baao--- a beautiful town in Bicol which is worth a million words and a lifetime of memories.

Many of us will agree with Vicente Ll. Ramirez, Jr. (Baao Historical Society) who spoke of Baao and its wonderful people of about 55,000. He wrote about the memorable flatlands and rolling hills between the cities of Naga and Iriga in the province of Camarines where his beloved kahimanwas are. With undisguised pride, he described one of Bicol’s distinctive farming village with unfettered personal fondness.

Ramirez theorized the name Baao must have started during the Spanish occupation. In those days, a local who lived by the lake was asked by one of the foreigners how they called the green-brown turtles, thriving well in the emerald inland marshes of this interesting town, a part of old Nueva Caceres.







The native referred to the rounded hump-backed reptile as a “ba-o-o” which timidly inhabits the fresh waterways. Sustained by lush ferns (aru-agnow,) they were in harmony with the brown snails (kohol) on which the migratory waterfowls fed. Under the tilted stalks of ripening rice grains in the moist wide paddies, the “ba-o-o” lived aplenty.

Not very long the happy place with a distinctly enchanting allure was referred to by its people as “Bao.” Later, the name slowly morphed into what is known today as “Baao.”

Baao is a popular enclave of traditional families bonded by generations of kinship. Rich in religious tradition, it's a great place that's hard to forget.










A hub of activity where the National Road wiggles towards Albay and Sorsogon, it is a home of the white heron which sits beside the carabao and the blackbird clad with iridescent feathers in the fertile fields. Baao is a fabulous place where the wind is as gentle as the blue sky--- and the afternoon, as restful as the break of dawn.

In Baao, it is said the B’s reign. Family names like Barlin, Badiola, Bernas, Bacsain, Barrameda, Boncayao, Ballesteros, Badong, Badilla, Brillo, Briones, Bismonte, Britanico, Bigay, Blasco, Bersabe, Baesa, Bisuna, Barandon, Borja, Bulalacao, Bolo, Bedural, Botor, Bustilla, Bolalin, Babilonia, Beldua, Bersabal, Buena, and many others stood tall like the elegant upright top of the town’s historic stone cathedral.

Because they are part of the heart and soul of generations, from Agdangan to San Roque to Sagrada to La Medalla, Santa Teresita, Bagumbayan or Oras, closely-knit families live together in harmony and peace.

Their company thrives. Like the multitude of stars in the dark sky, the families of Gumabao, Dato, Guevara, Arroyo, Robosa, Llorens, Fajardo, Uy-Barreta, Esplana, Serrano, Gaite, Totanes, Perdon, Del Rosario, Sanchez, Palencia, Martires, Mendez, Peyra, Ramirez, Torres, De los Santos, Antioquia, Imperial and many more have become bigger, albeit more difficult to count. They are part of a growing network of extended families in the community, dating back from the ancient days of Handiong.









Returning home and reconnecting with relatives and friends don’t lose steam in Baao. A place for exciting reunions, it is about 444 kilometers south of Manila and is less than an hour ride from Naga City. By tradition, Baao residents are nurturing to their friends who come and go--- tracing familial and religious affinities with gusto. Like the gems in a jewel box, they guard their binding ties, wherever they are or have been.

When Ramirez described the character of the dazzling people of the town, he alluded to their pedigree of “patience, perseverance, patience, wit, passion, sensitivity, resourcefulness, ingenuity, adaptability and resilience.” He concluded they are part of the “Baao persona that we all must be proud of and grateful for.”

Yes! The Baaoenos are caring and adaptable people. Look at the photographs! They are fun-loving and gentle human beings. Their sense of community is strong and their closeness to their neighbor is unmistakable. Unity is reflected in their language, songs, dances, and perhaps, in their dreams.







PINTAKASI IN AMERICA

What more is a better example than when Baaoenos celebrate their Pintakasi---that colorful merry feast reserved to honor St. Bartholomew, their patron saint? Ask anyone who visits Baao in August 23 to 25. The red-letter dates in the calendar make the whole town boil with joy. That’s also true here in America.

Almost coincident to the town fiesta, expatriate Baaoenos celebrate these days with homey merriment and unrestrained fun. In an amiable display of oneness and faith, they break bread and share stories together.

In 2008, one of Baao’s upbeat sons Walter Mendez and a group of his ardent supporters based in the golden state paid host to a motley crowd of kahimanwas. The gathering comes annually. Baaoenos from different states in America join the event and follow their roots.







For this year, it’s the Las Vegas Baaoenos’ turn to host the affair on August 8, 2009 in Nevada. Among the core group of organizers are Naty Martires, Sally & Joe (del Rosario) Valeras, Nilda & Michael (Torres) Chang, Ben & Myrna Ballesteros, Josephine Sanchez, Frank Banaria, and Rita Badiola.

Pintakasi in America is a sparkling reenactment of the same religious observance of Baao’s famous feast. The food is always generously scrumptious as the laughter and stories which go with it. The event is never dull---not overly pompous, but always roaring hot as memory can tell!

The wonderful pictures posted herein speak even louder and more eloquently than what I can probably say----so I leave them to you to attend the next heart-warming big Pinatakasi. It’s fun to see countless sons and daughters of Baao gather together in a festive celebration which sizzles with a bang!







Those who attend say they are more than satisfied. The event kicks in with a solemn mass of thanksgiving and recollection officiated by priests and attended by guests, some traveling all the way from Bicol. There is the unmistakable warmth that binds those who are present. Young and old, they join the celebration.

Group dancing and talent shows set the happy tone of the Pintakasi fun. Even without the spectacle of performers, they get energized huddling together. More often than not, they bump on someone they have not seen for so long. Sometimes, they get teary-eyed upon hearing stories back home.

Etched on their excited faces which often find their best friends in unlikely places, on the day of the grand Pintakasi, one can hear them whisper ---- Baao, sa kalipungawan ko, ngowan na aldow, di tay ka malingawan. (Photo Credit: NMU) =0=


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